


Red Wood and Poison Berries

by Stubbornness_and_Spite



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Demon Deals, Demons, Gen, How Do I Tag, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Minor Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), No beta we die like Sunset Curve, Protective Julie Molina, Witch Julie Molina, and willie, im not really sure what you were expecting from a jatp fic but i figured id cover my bases
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:40:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28021797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stubbornness_and_Spite/pseuds/Stubbornness_and_Spite
Summary: What if after the Orpheum performance, Julie had begged for the boys' lives a little differently? What if someone had heard?In which I introduce my favorite demon bastard OC to the phantoms because I have no self-control
Relationships: Alex & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie, Alex & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie & Willie, Julie Molina & Everyone, Julie Molina & Original Male Character(s), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Willie & Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 39





	Red Wood and Poison Berries

**Author's Note:**

> I started playing with this scene before I went to bed last night and it would not leave me alone until I had written it. Once it was written out, I figured I may as well post it and inflict it on a few other people too. The OMC in this is a character from an original story I'm working on writing so if he at all interests you, I'd love to know. Hopefully, I'll put up some of his actual story that isn't a fever dream fic that I outlined at 2 am. I'm not sure if I'm embarrassed or proud at how much background worldbuilding went into this. It's crossed over from my original story I had already done some worldbuilding for, but still  
> The bits with Willie were very unplanned but I kind of like them.  
> This is either going to be deleted or made into a series depending on how people respond and if I still think it's a good idea tomorrow.

Julie’s heart broke a thousand times over as she stared helplessly at her boys, collapsed on the floor and crying from the pain. Her eyes burned and she fought back her tears because once again, it wasn’t her that was dying.

“Please, go to Caleb’s club, save yourselves!” she begged. “It’s better than not existing at all, please! Do it for me! I’ll do anything!” 

The second the last word left her mouth, the lights in the room flickered. There was a flash like a ghost poofing in and a boy who looked only a few years older than them appeared with a little hop. He swept into a deep and mocking bow and popped his head up to look at Julie without standing back up.

“Anything?” he asked with a grin. He stood up slowly, running his hands through his dark hair. His hair was smooth and perfectly in place. His skin was a few shades lighter than Julie’s but looked more like hers than the rest of the band. His eyes were bright and seemed to be every color of the rainbow at once. He wore an elaborate suit, reminiscent of Caleb’s, but darker and more fitted.

“Who are-” Luke started, but was cut off as another jolt ran through the boys' bodies.

“Ah-ah-ah!” the newcomer tutted. “We’re in the middle of negotiations. Can’t have us being interrupted.” He flicked a hand towards the boys and Julie lunged forwards.

“No!” she screamed. “No, don’t hurt them!”

The newcomer smirked. “Relax, kiddo. I’m just putting a pin in Caleb’s hold on them.”

Alex coughed as the pain from the jolts subsided. “You can do that?”

The newcomer whirled around to face him with a grin. “Well, if it isn’t Alex Mercer. I’ve heard just about  _ too much _ about you.” He waved his hand dismissively again when Alex tried to say something. “As for your question,  _ I  _ can do that. Just about no one else. It was written into the contract that gave Caleb his powers.”

“Contract?”

“Come now, boys!” The newcomer chided. “You didn’t think a ghost could do what Caleb does without a bit of magic? And of course, my powers would trump Caleb’s. I’m the one he made a deal with, after all.”

“So this is all your fault?” Luke asked accusingly. The effect was slightly ruined as he coughed.

“Call me Crataegus,” the newcomer snapped. “And no, I don’t control what my customers do.”

“Call you what?” Reggie said roughly, clearing his throat.

“Would Cedar be better?” he snapped. “Or Sorrel? I have a lot of names and I’m not picky. Choose something and let’s move on, Jesus fuck.” The room was quiet for a moment and the newcomer cursed under his breath. “I said ‘Jesus fuck’ out loud didn’t I?”

“Yeah,” Reggie answered.

The newcomer slumped and stood back up with a more casual posture. “Damn,” he hissed. “The one time I actually try to go all fire and brimstone and I ruin it by cursing like a mortal. That’s what I get for hanging around humans and witches.” He rolled his eyes and sighed. He gestured at the couch next to Reggie. “Mind if I sit?”

Luke cleared his throat. “Sure, uh, Cedar? Or Sorrel? Or-”

“Seriously, kid. Pick one. I don’t care. None of them are actually my name.”

“Sorrel,” Julie said firmly. “What do you mean by your power trumps Caleb’s? Could you save the guys?”

“Julie…”

Sorrel didn’t bother to see which boy had spoken, his eyes were on Julie. “From the stamp?” he asked. “Technically, you could save them from the stamp. From everything else Caleb will do once you get that stamp off? I absolutely could.”

“I could save them?” Julie asked.

Sorrel frowned. “You’re a witch, right? I was getting better at identifying witches on sight, but I could be wrong. Come over here.” He gestured for her to stand in front of him. Julie walked over slowly, ignoring protests from the boys. Sorrel reached forward and placed two fingers on each of her temples. He was quiet for a moment.

“You’re definitely a witch, kid,” he said. “Forge a strong enough soul connection and you’ll pull them far enough into the world of the living that Caleb’s stamp can’t touch them. They’re at the halfway point now. If you want it enough, you can pull them at least to ¾.”

Julie stared at her band as Sorrel let his arms drop.

“Or,” he said before she could move. “You could make a deal with me. Maybe get some powers like Caleb or bring them all the way back into the world of the living.”

“Can only Julie make a deal?” Alex interrupted.

Sorrel smirked. “Technically any of you could, but I’d need something of value to take it and I get the impression you don’t have much you’d trade me.”

“Something of value?” Luke asked. “Like money? Give us some time, we could get money.”

Sorrel laughed. “I’m a demon, bud. I don’t need or want mortal money. I mean something of value to your soul.”

“And you could save them? Bring them back to life?” Julie asked, still with eyes only for her band.

Sorrel stared at her. He coughed. “Yeah, sweetie, I could probably do a bit more depending on how good whatever you trade is.” he sighed. “Look, I’ve got a,” he gestured to the four of them. “Group like this too. I get it. There’s a reason I try to keep an ear open for this particular brand of desperation. I’m going to give you as good as I possibly can from whatever deal we make.”

“What would make a good deal?” Julie asked, steel returning to her voice.

Sorrel’s lips twitched up. “If one of you boys wants to make it, those instruments are attached to your soul. Wanna offer up one of those?”

They froze, eyes wide.

“What about this?” Julie asked softly. She walked over to the piano and picked up a few sheets of music. She walked back over and handed Sorrel a song titled Wake Up. There was a little note on it that read: Julie, you can do it <3 Love Mom.

“Oh,” Sorrel said softly. “You’re Rose’s girl, aren’t you?”

“Did you know my mom?” Julie whispered, suddenly choked up again.

Sorrel shook his head. “Not personally. My brother made a deal with her right before she died.” Sorrel nodded towards the boys. “I see it went well.” He cleared his throat. “It’s starting to take a bit more effort than I’d like to keep Caleb’s power pinned. You must have really pissed him off; he is desperate to kill you.” He flipped over the copy of Wake Up a few times and nodded. “Could get a hell of a lot with this. Last gift of a witch to her successor? If I was actually trying to get something out of this deal, I could run on just the fumes of this for years.”

“Julie,” Luke cut in. “Are you sure?”

Julie forced a smile. “Yeah,” she said. “I have plenty of things from my mom and I have copies of that song. I think she’ll forgive me.”

“From what I knew of her,” Sorrel said, still looking at Wake Up. “She’d be proud.” He tucked Wake Up under his arm and clapped. “Now, let’s get to negotiations. I assume you want these three back in the land of the living in this time? Not 1995?”

“That’s-that’s an option?” Alex stammered.

“Eh,” Sorrel put up a hand and wiggled it. “Sort of? Your death was the catalyst for a lot, including Julie’s being alive, so yes but also no.”

“We’ll stay here,” Luke said. He turned to Alex and Reggie who nodded.

“Cool,” Sorrel muttered. “Do you want to keep your ghost powers? I’m pretty sure I can do that. Human, visible, audible, tangible, aging, mortal, but able to walk through walls when you want and do your ghost poofing thing?”

“Um, yeah,” Luke stuttered.

Sorrel turned to Alex. “William,” he said sharply. “Make a decision.”

Alex froze. “I can’t make that decision for him.”

Sorrel rolled his eyes and snapped. Willie dropped into existence in front of them.

“Where-Alex?” he yelped, throwing his arms around Alex’s neck. “How are you still here? Did you not cross over?”

“He’s currently dying,” Sorrel deadpanned.

Wille whirled around, his face hardening as he caught sight of Sorrel. “You,” he snarled.

Sorrel smirked. “Hi, Willie, wanna be human again?”

“What?” Willie asked. 

“Julie’s making a deal, I’m tossing in your soul as a bargain,” Sorrel taunted. “So decide.”

Willie turned to Julie. “Julie, you can’t do this. You don’t know what you’re dealing with.”

“Guys?” Julie asked. “What’s going on?”

Sorrel’s eyes lit up and he cackled. “She can’t see you!” he crowed. “Oh, this is just too precious to process.” He zeroed in on Willie. “So, I can leave you a ghost with your soul belonging to Caleb, I can give your soul to Julie and you’ll still be a ghost but she and the boys will be able to see you, or I can bring you back to life like the boys with your ghost abilities intact. Pick.”

“If I pick the last one,” Willie asked. “Can I still be invisible and intangible to lifers sometimes?”

Sorrel rolled his eyes. “So you can ride your board in the street without dying again? Sure, why not. I’ll throw it in for all of you. I like a little chaos and you four are fun.” Sorrel turned back to Julie. “He wants the same deal as the boys. You still on board? And as a bonus I’ll throw in a bit of Caleb-repellent and a dash of good luck.”

“Yes,” Julie said.

Sorrel looked at her for a moment. “Cute, but I need a bit more than that for a binding deal. Give me your hand.” Julie held out her hand and he flipped it over to reveal her wrist, hovering his hand above it. The boys and Willie lunged forward. Sorrel laughed. “I’m just messing with you,” he admitted. He leaned over to Julie and whispered. “That’s the move Caleb does when he stamps someone.” Julie recoiled and yanked her hand back. Sorrel laughed again. “Alright, let’s get this show on the road. I really do need to shake your hand to make this official, kid.”

Julie reached out tentatively, but when Sorrel shook her hand a golden glow burst out from where their hands touched. The glow spread over Sorrel’s hand and he held Wake Up carefully in both hands like a platter. The music glowed golden for a moment before exploding into a cloud of golden light. Sorrel shuddered as the light moved over him and faded into his skin. His eyes opened and they were shining gold. He took a slow breath and let it out, raising a hand.

He coughed violently into his arm. “Holy shit, when a Molina witch gives a gift she does not half-ass it. Calm down a bit Julie, you’re putting way too much energy into this deal. I’m gonna go supernova if you don’t cool it. The music was more than enough.” He took a breath again and lifted his left hand like he was holding a wine glass. He snapped his fingers and the glow vanished. 

Julie looked over to see Willie and her boys glowing gold. She screamed out a laugh and flung herself at them. They beamed and caught her mid-air, clutching her in a flailing mess of a hug.

Sorrel cleared his throat. “As sweet as this is, and believe me: it’s adorable. I do feel obliged to tell you I changed a few facets of our deal at the last minute.”

The five teenagers spun to look at him in horror.

He raised his eyebrows. “So little trust,” he chided. “I expect this from Julie and the boyband, but you Willie? I thought we had something special.”

“Willie?” Alex asked. “How do you know him?”

Sorrel waved Alex off. “Oh, Willie and I have an out-standing deal and I like to tease him about it whenever I pop in for a visit or a job.”

“We don’t have any sort of deal because I died,” Willie snarled. “You broke the terms of the deal. I don’t owe you anything.”

“Yes,” Sorrel mused. “You did die. But then you got better so I guess the deal’s back on!” He winced suddenly. “I’m suddenly reminded that I’ve “learned and grown” in the past few years and that I should,” he winced again. “I’m going to let you off the hook…” he trailed off. He shook his head as if trying to shake something out. “No, I’m not. Our deal was awesome and I stand by it. You’re getting every damn thing I promised because you’re the one deal in the past fifty years that I’m actually proud of.”

“Right,” Willie said shakily.

Sorrel scoffed. “Kid, you already died. I siphoned off a bit of power while you were dead. Your end of the deal is done. You’ve got the rest of your life to live with the benefits. Enjoy it.”

Willie blinked but nodded.

Sorrel clapped his hands. “Now, the one last change I made. Aging is optional. We don’t want you dying before Jules anyway, now do we? And I’m pretty sure you can only die of old age, but I wouldn’t test that one.” He looked around at the group of kids. “Please die of old age. I don’t want to resurrect you again.” He tossed Julie a coin. He hesitated a moment and then tossed Willie one too. “If you need me, call. If it’s an emergency, tails side up. If it’s casual or mildly pressing, hold it heads up. I’m heading out. If you’re ever in New York, hit me up.”

“Wait,” Julie called. He looked at her with raised eyebrows. She shrugged. “Thank you.”

Sorrel winked. “You’re sweet, kid. Anytime.”

And he disappeared.


End file.
